Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1887-03-22
PORT ROYALS FUTURE.
NOT LIKELY TO BE AFFECTED
By VANDFRBILI'S VISIT.

The Millionaire Puts Into Port Royal
Harbor After Cruise in His New
/ Yacht to Let Mrs. Vanderbilt Ashore
and the People Think He Il Going TO
Make a Big Railroad Terminus There
Gen. Alexander Talks About the
Centraps South Carolina Port.
Gen. f. P. Alexander smiled amusedly
yesterday when shown the Augusta
| Chronicles Port Royal dispatch contain
ing some speculations about Mr.. Wander
/ bits visit TO that town.
The Georgia CentraPs President re-
marked that it is folly to attach any sig
nifcance to the many millionaire's rum
ming his yacht INTO Port Royal harbor.
"Mr. Vanderbilt was probably tired OF
steaming around at sea and wanted to
come ashore. His new yacht is very
large, and | do not know but
that she draws too much water
to come up the Savannah river, and II she
does Of course she could not get into
Charleston, and in that case what would
be more natural than to run into Port
Royal to land? AS for him thinking
about utilizing Port Royal as a railroad
terminal il is likely that he never thought
OF it five minutes in that connection or
any other, and probably forgot it i've min
utes alter be left it. Port Royal is one OF
those places like Brunswick. Neither OF
them is in a natural trade channel, ard
Mr.. Vanderbilt could spend all the money
be has on either Of the ports and not make
cities OF them.
GEN. ALEXANDER's VIEWS.
81 believe" said Gen. Alexander, sin
helping every place that shows the least
tendency TO grow. Further than that, I
am in favor of investing capital In order
to divert trade and assist it in making a
channel for itself. but If after the expert
ment is made trade will not flow into the
channel made for it, there Is no use in
trying to force 1t there. If you dig n
ditch from a pond OF water and not
a single drop will run out and the
bottom OF the channel remains perfectly
dry, you know that the ditch must run up
hill. II trade shows tendency TO flow
in a certain channel, ty all means let that
channel be widened and deepened, but
there is no use in digging a tremendous
canal for little stream. The Central
tried the experiment of building up Port
Royal, and put large elevator and
cotton compress there and built eXpen-
sive wharves, but trade would not 20
there. Why, the last administration even
went into the cotton brokerage business.
compressed 1t and paid ships to come
there for it. The experiment cost the
company 500, 600, every penny OF which
was thrown away"
CENTRAL's PORT ROYAL PROPERTY.
The $120,0 900 invested by the Central In
railroad property at Port Royal mas never
paid, and the wharves, eleva tor and COM
press are lying idle. Some time ago
ship loaded with rails for the Louisville
and Nashville arrived there. Gen. Alex
ander was asked for rate on grain to
Port Royal. lie replied that be would
deadhead cargo of grain there in order
to have the ship load and
| help start grain traffic to that port.
The ship waited three weeks and then
went around to New Orleans to load. The
! tendency of certain kinds of traffic from
the West, as Gen. Alexander pointed out,
is to 20 to New York and thence be
shipped to Port Royal and Brunswick
rather than to force way direct across
! the country.
| Vanderbilt has been cruising around
since Feb. 10 in his new yacht, the Alva.
He visited Nassau, Havana and other
! points. His wife preferred to finish the
| trip by rail. First Vice President Holins,
OF the Georgia Central, teegraphed Gen.
Alexander to have Vanderbits private
car sent from Yemassee down to Port
| Royal. That was done, and on Sunday
Mrs. Vanderbilt and her children went
ashore, and went'home by rail.
THE STORY LAUGHED AT.
Soon after Mr.. Vanderbilts 5000, 900
| yacht, with her owner on board steamed
out to sea and proceeded TO New York.
On the street here all the talk about Van
derbilt building up Port Royal is regarded
as nonsense, and the business men laugh
at the idea of real estate owners over
there advancing the price of lots just be-
cause the richest man In America hap
pened to run his yacht into the harbOr TO
let his wife get ashore.